Metro-North resumes full service on New Haven Line

The failure on September 25 of a 138,000-volt Con Edison feeder cable knocked out train service in an eight-mile section of the New Haven Line. The outage occurred during the construction and commissioning of the new, long-planned, $50 million substation installation that will enable the railroad to increase service on the line.

"As soon as Con Edison fixed the power failure, Metro-North was on the ground speedily restoring service," said MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas Prendergast.

"We have coped with many challenging situations in the past, including blackouts, but this persistent power outage was especially challenging, both to our customers and to Metro-North employees who worked relentlessly to provide the best possible alternative service," said Metro-North President Howard Permut.

Soon after the outage occurred, Con Edison and Metro-North electrical engineers determined that the fastest way to restore power was to expedite completion of the new substation rather than repair the failed feeder, which is not expected to be returned to service until October 22.

The railroad quickly established limited diesel train service between Stamford, Conn., and Grand Central Terminal, a shuttle bus service to the Harlem Line, which was not affected by the outage and a network of park and ride lots to get people to other subway and rail lines.

Last week, the railroad carried about 80 – 90 percent of its normal New Haven Line ridership, although most trains were crowded and travel times were longer than usual due to mostly local service.